With short-term absence, namely sickness, being one of the most common reasons for unplanned absence in the workplace, knowing your organisation’s policies and processes on absence can help you provide the right guidance and support for your team.

This guide provides information on effectively managing an employee who is taking short-term absence and their return to work. How you respond as a manager will make a huge difference to the experience of your colleagues and how supported they feel when they return.

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The Employment Rights Act 2025 gives employees the right to statutory sick pay from day one of illness (rather than day four) and from the start of employment. It also removes the lower earnings limit. Keep up to date with the latest on these changes with our Tracker of potential law changes.
 
This page outlines the current legislation around sick pay that should still be followed until any changes come into force. We will update this page once any changes are enforced.

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